The Global Assembly and global climate governance

It has been argued that deliberative democracy may be the most effective approach for tackling a global socio-ecological problem as complex as climate change. The last decade has witnessed a multiplicity of climate citizen assemblies at national and local levels, intended to guide decision-making on climate policy. Well-known examples include the Irish Citizens’ Assembly in 2016, the French Citizens’ Convention for climate in 2019 and the Climate Assembly UK in 2019. Advocates for climate assemblies argue that citizens participating in such a type of mini-public may be more receptive to climate science and interested in prioritising long-term goals, and concern for future generations, than their elected counterparts. Building on these attempts to address the climate emergency at the national level, a Global Assembly was established in 2021, the first of its kind, bringing together a group of 100 people from around the world to convey the voices of citizens in global climate governance, a space where they are generally absent. In this paper, we analyse this unique experiment looking at both internal and external aspects of the Assembly. First, our paper analyses the Assembly’s deliberations about global governance and how they shaped the writing of the Declaration that was presented at COP26 in Glasgow. Second, it assesses its impact with regards to its visibility in side-events and connection to decision-making processes at COP26. Finally, we consider what lessons this experience may offer to future Global Assemblies. This paper is based on discourse analysis of the deliberations, of the side-events organised at COP26, and of interviews with participants.